A young Ho Chi Minh City architect will release a book that seeks to capture the beauty of the town's disappearing past

The book “Sai Gon Xua” (Old Saigon) will be published in January and attempt to preserve the relics of what's often called Saigon's “golden age” in beautifully-rendered pen and ink drawings, according to the author Le Hung Trong.

Trong was born and raised in the south central province of Ninh Thuan and blossomed in Ho Chi Minh City.

“Saigon is where I found myself, where I nurtured my dream of becoming an architect and accomplishing something good," he said.

“My commitment to architecture has inspired my unconditional love for Saigon’s historical treasures,” the 30-year-old said in an interview with Tuoi Tre newspaper.

His book is set for release at a time when the city is seemingly demolishing every relic of its past in its path toward development.

The century-old trees that once lined Nguyen Hue and Ton Duc Thang streets have been fallen to make way for the country’s first metro line and the city's 134-year-old Saigon Tax Center is slated to suffer the same fate.

A stand of willows that once thrived in the circle at Nguyen Hue and Le Loi is also among the casualties of the coming train line.

Trong said that while these places may change, their images will remain forever in his mind.

He is releasing the book so those places will survive for others as well.

“It takes a lot of time to build, but it’s easy to destroy,” Trong told Tuoi Tre.

Le Hung Trong with his book "Old Saigon" that is to be released in January 2015. Photo: Nguyen Khanh/Tuoi Tre

“I always believe in the connection between the past, present and future, so there’s no reason our generation shouldn't preserve a few good memories of Saigon's greatest assets.”

Trong says he wants to produce a study of Saigon as a young person.

He also hopes to contribute something valuable to the existing body of work that made his book possible.

“When I was writing and painting this book, I relied on a lot of valuable information generated by some major researchers.

“Now my little book can do some good too,” he said.

Trong went to HCMC after finishing high school to study architecture at Van Lang University.

In 2006, he graduated at the top of his class.

Two years ago, he started painting Saigon’s most iconic destinations, including the Nha Rong Wharf, the Saigon Central Post Office, the Opera House, the Notre Dame Cathedral, and Binh Tay wholesale market – the commercial center of Chinatown.

Binh Tay market as depicted in Le Hung Trong's "Old Saigon."

Trong arranged the watercolor pen images in the order in which he produced them and each image incorporates elements of building exterior and interiors.